Introduction to service was not as smooth as hoped. The Class 67 was a heavy locomotive with a high axle-loading on a Bo-Bo arrangement, which adversely affected route availability. Railtrack immediately imposed a 95 MPH top speed restriction on the type, in spite of successful 125 MPH tests carried out by Alstom in Toledo, Spain, after voicing concerns over track and bridge damage. There had been cases of locomotives' suspension springs breaking and, after remedial works to these and dealing with tyre profile issues, a relaxation of the top speed restriction to 110 MPH was made. Certification for 125 MPH running ensued through 2000, No. 67023 being the first example to reach this milestone with a rake of Mk 3 carriages.
The fleet's troubles did not end there, however. As a result of too few spare parts being delivered from the factory in Valencia when they were originally shipped over, two locomotives were withdrawn and used as a source of components; these were later reinstated.
Despite the introductory woes, at least the locomotive was flexible with the type of stock it hauled: a two-style coupling system, incorporating both hook and chain and the more recent ''buckeye'', featured. Furthermore, rather than following the traditional body-on-frame construction of the Class 66, the high-speed diesel was of a monocoque design, where the body and frame are built as one, which made it more robust in the event of a collision.
By the close of 2001, the Class 67 had been certified for 125 MPH running and the whole fleet became part of a nationwide locomotive pool based at Cardiff Canton. This allocation later changed to Toton, but as the nature of the pool suggests, the class' operations took them all over the country.
By 2002, the Royal Mail contract was EWS' most profitable; in 1999, the company handled 300,000 tonnes of this traffic. By comparison, in 1992, mail and parcels accounted for a £34,700,000 loss for BR. However, new safety legislation required the withdrawal of that rolling stock used for on-the-move sorting and this, combined with a deterioration of network performance in the wake of the Hatfield crash in 2000, resulted in a cutback of workings. This culminated in talks with Royal Mail over the existing contract, in which the latter deemed that EWS was unable to offer the range of services required at a realistic price. Consequently, Royal Mail publicly announced on 6th June 2003 that all of their rail-borne traffic would cease in March of the following year. As it transpired, the last Travelling Post Offices ran on 9th January 2004, and the Class 67 lost the main traffic for which it was originally procured.
Whilst still operating the Royal Mail diagrams, the Class 67 was also deployed on the Scottish Sleeper. Originally operated by InterCity (West Coast), the sleeper workings had been part of the "ScotRail" franchise since privatisation and comprised two trains in either direction. The northbound workings emanated from Euston: the first departed at around 09:30, reaching Edinburgh in about seven hours, at which point the train broke into three portions for Fort William, Inverness, and Aberdeen. The second departed Euston just shy of midnight and terminated at Glasgow Central about seven-and-a-half hours later, with no onward portions. Both trains were electrically-hauled from London, but the Fort William, Inverness, and Aberdeen portions of the earlier departure required diesel haulage. Trains bound for the latter two were Class 47-hauled, whilst the Fort William section was booked for a Class 37, and traction and crews were supplied by EWS. In spring 2001, the Class 67 started to be deployed on the Inverness and Aberdeen sleeper portions, allowing the Class 47 to be phased out. The Class 67s took over fully on those routes from July 2002, but the sleeper to Fort William remained hauled by Class 37s.
Since the end of EWS' contract with Royal Mail, the use of the Class 67 has been varied and for what is a comparatively small fleet of locomotives, an assortment of liveries have already been worn. In October 2004, EWS formed an "Executive Train", which comprised three dark maroon-painted BR Mk 3 carriages (standard passenger trailer, ex-Buffet car, and ex-sleeping car) and a silver Driving Van Trailer (DVT) in the 82xxx series. The DVT and coaching stock had been displaced from the West Coast Main Line as a result of the introduction of the "Pendolino" sets in 2002, and the "Executive Train" was intended to carry EWS' Senior Management and clients. The train was based at Toton, Nottinghamshire, and Class 67 No. 67029 was allocated to haul the formation, being repainted into an all-over silver scheme matching the aforementioned DVT.
The perennial charter work: No. 67012 is seen trundling along a route which is synonymous with suburban commuter traffic: the North Kent Line. It is leading the 10:45 Victoria to Victoria via Grain excursion, hauling BR Mk 1 stock and trailing a second Class 67 through Stone Crossing station - more of in the next view. © David Glasspool
Following on from the previous photograph, the penultimate member of the fleet, No. 67029, is seen on the trailing end of the Victoria to Victoria via Grain charter at Stone Crossing. Travelling via Denmark Hill, Lewisham, Sidcup, and Dartford on the outward leg, the train returned to the terminus via the Medway Valley Line, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Otford, Swanley, St Mary Cray Junction, Hither Green, Lewisham, and Denmark Hill. No. 67029 is wearing an all-over silver scheme, which was applied when the locomotive became dedicated to EWS' then new "Executive Train", which was commissioned to traffic in October 2004. © David Glasspool
No. 67025 leads the charge over the swing bridge of 1930 into Folkestone Harbour with the VSOE from Victoria. The signalman holding up a green flag to indicate that the level crossing was clear to proceed over was as advanced as things were at the terminus by this stage. © David Glasspool
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